2018 OECD Social Policy Ministerial

Ministers responsible for Social Policy in over 35 OECD and partner countries will meet in Montréal to exchange their views on their countries’ challenges, opportunities, and best practices in social protection in a Ministerial meeting entitled Social Policy for Shared Prosperity: Embracing the Future.

Ministers will also set out their priorities for the Social Policy work of the OECD.

Social Policy for Shared Prosperity

Globalisation, digitalisation, and demographic changes are re-shaping the world of work: what kind of work is done, who carries it out, and where and how it is carried out. For many workers, the traditional link between employment and social protection is weakening. The changing world of work has made many people far less economically secure, and there is a growing chasm between "haves" and "have nots." In many countries, people are feeling uncertain about the future.

Modern and open means of communicating with policymakers allows more people to voice their concerns, but how can governments best listen to and address these concerns? What forms of government engagement with citizens in the design and reform of social policies work best, and how can governments better protect people from the risks that matter most to them? What lessons can be drawn from OECD countries' experiences targeting workers with less security, and how can these lessons inform the design of social protection measures in the "New World of Work"?

At the OECD’s High-Level Policy Forum, participants and expert speakers from a range of backgrounds will explore how rapidly changing economic and social environments present both challenges and opportunities for the design and implementation of social policy – a key component of the OECD’s Inclusive Growth Initiative.